The Lions must figure out a way to be more consistent on third down. After converting nearly 50 percent of their third downs last year, Detroit currently ranks 27th in the NFL converting at just a 36 percent clip so far this season. It’s been a mix of missed throws, drops, protection issues and play calling.
“You’ve got to win your one-on-one matchups,” Lions offensive coordinator John Morton said this week. “That’s one of the biggest things that I talk with the offense about. Just dial in, especially third down, let’s dial in.
“And really we’re just erring on technique. But when we do it all together, it’s pretty good. You saw it against Washington. But again – and I’ve said this before – it’s that one breakdown where it’s a technique error here and there or we didn’t make the throw. That’s all we’ve got to do, that’s what we’re concentrating on. That was one of the biggest things we talked with the offense about, just dial in.”
Can Detroit fix their issues on third down at home this week to extend drives and scoring opportunities? New York enters the game ranked 18th in third-down defense at 40 percent.
